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Sunday, July 19, 2009

Racing Across America

I didn't do it on purpose, but this week I read the way I like best. Everything I read fit a theme. I finally finished Blue Highways. A blog post led me to Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck. And then Lois on the Loose came in at the library for me.

Three trips across America (Lois actually traversed the entire North and South American continents.) Three different time periods (Travels with Charley was 1961; Blue Highways was 1981; and Lois was just couple of years ago.) Three different takes on the world.

For all three, there were times when the modern world has taken over our natural world to the detriment of the natural world. I was surprised to hear Steinbeck bemoaning the pollution he saw during his travels; I'd thought this was a more recent phenomenon.

I liked best the people the travelers met during their journeys. Who could forget the cranky woman who decided to ride her motorcycle with Lois for part of her trip? That lady whined about everything. And the brilliant philosophers the author of BH met? (I wonder why he met so many brilliant people....just the luck of the draw?) Steinbeck, oddly, never met someone who recognized him. I find that astonishing.

I had some great travels this week, with nary a sunburn or mosquito bite or scary bear. You want smooth traveling? Head for the library and rummage through the 900's.

I always wanted to read the William Least Heat-Moon, but just never have gotten around to it. So I'm guessing it was worth it? :)

Second, I have another blog, unfinishedperson.com, on which you left a comment on a post a few months ago about committing 10 minutes a day to God. I was wondering how that went for you. For me, it didn't go so well. That's why I'm starting over today and reposting the original post, just FYI.

These things must happen subconsciously--I'm reading my third WWII book in a row.

I've only read Travels with Charley from your list and I found the timing of the book very interesting. So many things have changed in the past 40 years and it was interesting to read about some of these things from an immediate perspective--like the racial tension in the south that he encountered.